Improvement in propulsion of canal-boats



H. FOWLER.

Improvement in Propulsion ofCanal Boats.

Patented Dec.12,1871' gawk Wzzzwnkw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY FOWLER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION OF CANAL-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,713, dated December 12, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY FOWLER, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have in vented certain Improvements in Devices for Propelling Boats, of which the following is a specifi cation:

The object of this invention is to provide an adjustable foot to be attached to the lower end of a rod, bar, stilt, or setting-pole, operated by the crank or oscillating bar running transversely across the boat or barge; and also to operate the stilt or setting-pole by means of a flexible swing ing bar attached to the oscillating crank or bar, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of the foot attached to the setting pole or stilt; Fig. 2, the same in another position. Fi 3 is a plan of the foot as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective View, showing the oscillating shaft with the swinging bar attached to the stilt or setting-pole.

A A and a a are two fiat pieces of wood or metal loosely jointed together, one above the other, by means of straps b b, with pins 0 c or other similar fastenings, in such manner that they may swing apart or be drawn close together, the lower flat being armed with teeth 1) D on the lower side thereof and the upper one A A connected, by a hinge-joint, F, with the stilt or setting-pole f. Jointed or pivoted upon the edges of the lower plate are straps g g, one on each side thereof, which pass upward alongside of the upper flat and curve backward, bearing a transverse rod or bar H. Said straps are slotted where they pass the sides of the upper flat and receive each a pin,

0 c, protruding from said flat. Said rod or bar H, when pressed downward, bears upon the arms J J of another flat or foot or claw, K, said arms being hinged or jointed upon the upper flat A A and bearing at their extremities said flat K. The above apparatus constitutes a foot to be used (more especially for the propulsion of canalboats and barges) in connection with the rod, bar, stilt, or setting-pole f, which extends along the sides of the boat, one on each side thereof, and is hinged or pivoted at its forward and upper end to a swinging or oscillating bar, :0, which bar is composed of spring-steel or other flexible material, (or else so braced by spiral or other springs as to be flexible in its action,) and united to the end of a shaft or roller, R, which crosses the boat or passes through the same above the water-level. The said shaft or roller R is crankshaped in the center, or else is provided with an arm, with the extremity of which a driving-shaft may be connected, to be driven by steam-power or otherwise.

I claim as my invention 1. The foot, composed of its several parts substantially as described, in combination with the stilt or setting-pole f, for the propulsion of boats or land vehicles.

2. The flexible swinging or oscillating harm in connection with said stilt or setting-pole, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HARVEY FOWLER.

Witnesses:

N. DU BOIS, 

